Overview  The City of Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona and the fifth largest city in the nation. The Phoenix economy is vibrant and strong, attracting many new businesses and people, and making Phoenix the anchor of a metropolitan area of over 3.6 million people. The City has grown from 1,149,417 residents in 1995 to 1,452,825 in 2005, representing a 26.4 percent increase in ten years, according. It is one of the top three fastest growing areas in the country. As the Valley continues to expand, so will its amenities - and the quality of life. Its hard to find time to be bored in Phoenix. With such an impressive array of interesting cultural attractions, sport and recreational activities, and shopping and entertainment to take in, your time will always be at a premium. Phoenix offers a diversity that appeals to all walks of life, young and old.  Newcomers are drawn to the region's warm, dry climate that receives less than eight inches of rain annually. Aside from the occasional dust or thunderstorm during the winter and summer monsoon seasons, the weather allows golf, swimming and patio dining year-round. The Outdoor Lifestyle Several elements have contributed to Phoenix's popularity, but none more so than the weather and the climate. With over 300 days a year of sun and minimal rainfall, Phoenix enjoys fantastic weather year-round. This has created the perfect environment for a wide variety of outdoor pursuits and Phoenix is famous for the recreational options that are available in both the city and surrounding areas. With nearly 200 golf courses dotting the landscape, golf rules in the recreational department. But amidst all that thirsty greenery still sits the Sonoran Desert's most obvious amenity - the naturally rugged, yet beautiful terrain. Thousands of acres of dry mountain preserve and cacti-enriched hillsides offer challenging trails for the Valley's hikers, bikers and horseback riders. And during the spring, this same rugged terrain transforms into a colorful palette of wildflower-packed scenery that is frequently captured on photograph and canvas. Although the dry heat of the desert can feel brutal to some, Phoenix is not without water to soothe parched skin. In fact, seven lakes surround the area, each one bustling with boating activity all summer long. Tubing down the Salt River also offers a surprisingly cool diversion from the summer heat. The state's Urban Fishing Program provides yet another diversion - fishing inside city parks - and the Valley's resorts offer a splashing good time poolside.   Arts & Culture Phoenix has a variety of venues for the performing arts including Phoenix Symphony Hall, which is the home of the Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Opera, the restored Orpheum Theatre, the Herberger Theatre Center, and Cricket Pavilions. Downtown Phoenix has undergone a significant amount of redevelopment in the last decade with the Arizona Center, US Airways Center, Chase Field, the Arizona Science Center, the Phoenix Museum of History, the Phoenix Central Library and the remodeled Phoenix Art Museum. The City has been successful in creating a focal point for sports as well as arts and culture in the downtown area. On any given evening, residents can choose from one or more professional sporting events, theatre, dance, concerts, symphony, opera, as well as many restaurants and nightclubs in Downtown Phoenix. The City also has a number of unique arts and cultural opportunities including the Heard Museum featuring Native American art, the Desert Botanical Garden, and the Pueblo Grande Museum featuring prehistoric Hohokam Indian ruins. Heritage Square, which is on the National Historic Register, is a city block in Central Phoenix dating from the late 1800s and is the only remaining group of residential structures from the original Phoenix townsite. Shemer Art Center, near the base of Camelback Mountain, is another reminder of the early days of Phoenix built between 1919 and 1928. The 1920s Santa Fe mission-style adobe residence has been transformed into a cultural center offering classes, concerts, lectures and art exhibits. Business & Industry Greater Phoenix has evolved from a tourism mecca to a major center for high-tech manufacturing of semiconductors, electronics and aerospace parts. Additionally, the 400-square-mile metro area is touted as a great place for small business start-ups and women-owned businesses and has one of the lowest costs of living compared to other major metropolitan areas. There are many key economic sectors in Phoenix. These include manufacturing, such as electronics and semiconductors, trade, service, and government. Over half of the total employment is in the trade and service sectors. This includes a of businesses in hospitality, education, health care, business and personal services. Phoenix is home to an increasing number of corporate and regional headquarters including Phelps Dodge, Viad Corporation, PCS Health UHaul International, USAA, OnSemiconductor, Honeywell, Karsten Manufacturing (Ping), Swift Transportation, Electronics, PETsMART, Charles Schwab & Company, American Express, Motorola, Sumitomo Sitix, and Avnet. Transportation The City of Phoenix is served by two interstates. Interstate 10 leads into Phoenix from Los Angeles on the west, and continues southeast through the City and on to Tucson and El Paso. Interstate 17 provides a north-south route through the City and is a key industrial corridor. I-17 leads north out of Phoenix to Flagstaff where it intersects with Interstate 40. Once you get into the metropolitan area, route 101 makes a loop all the way around the north, west and east sides of the Valley. The major components of the system include the Loop 101 that encircles the City of Phoenix, and the Loop 202 providing a route from Downtown around the perimeter of the southeast part of the metro area. In addition, State Route 51 connects I-10 through Downtown Phoenix to the north part of the City, connecting to the Loop 101. For air travel, Phoenix has Sky Harbor International Airport, which is the 8 th busiest airport in the world, based on the number of takeoffs and landings each year. When serving passengers, it is the 13th busiest in the United States, serving 41 million in 2005. Phoenix is the headquarters for US Airways, and a major hub for Southwest Airlines. Sports Phoenix has a renowned climate and broad range of recreational opportunities, cultural amenities and professional sports that provide residents with a multitude of options for leisure activities. Phoenix is one of the few cities in the country with all four types of professional sports including Phoenix Suns Basketball, Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball, Arizona Cardinals Football, an Phoenix Coyotes Hockey. In addition to professional sports, the area has more than 200 golf courses and 1,200 tennis courts. Phoenix is also home to several annual sporting events including the PGA's FBR/Phoenix Open, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Tempe and Scottsdale's Parada del Sol rodeo. Also, nine Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training here, including the two latest additions: Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers. Excerpts from Greater Phoenix Economic Phoenix Community Profile and The Arizona Republic.